Police apologise for handing out speeding tickets wrongly

Since 2015, 358 motorists have wrongly been given speeding tickets while driving below the speed limit, say the National Police of Denmark.

The cause of this error is a mistake made by the radar guns used to measure speed, which mistook passenger cars for lorries. Lorries are required to adhere to a lower speed on certain roads.

When a car is marked as going over the speed limit, the type of vehicle needs to be confirmed. This was not done in each of these cases, further compounding the issue.

Cases to be reopened
“The 358 cases will now be reopened so we can ensure that motorists haven’t payed too much or got a point on their driver’s licence that they shouldn’t have got,” Erik Terp, the head of the police’s National Traffic Center, told DR.

“Drivers who either need to have their fines cancelled or adjusted will be informed by us.”

Changes to the system
As a result of the error, the police will now make adjustments to the speed-monitoring system and remove the requirement for the type of vehicle to be confirmed.

“It’s very regrettable that drivers who have adhered to the speed limit have been given tickets. We take this very seriously, as you should be able to trust the tickets we give out,” added Terp.